Heartland Film elects new Board Chair, David Wong. Marisol Gouveia and Caity Withers join Heartland Film Board of Directors.
Media Contact: Jessica Chapman
jchapman@heartlandfilm.org | 317.750.3902
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“Congratulations to our newly elected board members,” said Michael Ault, President. “Their fresh perspectives and strong community connections will continue to elevate our organization in meaningful ways.”
Heartland Film welcomes first-time Board Members:
- Marisol Gouveia, Indiana Humanities
- Caity Withers, Indianapolis Airport Authority
Heartland Film also elected new Board Officers effective January 1, 2026. David Wong (Barnes & Thornburg LLP) is the new Board Chair. David Wong has been on the Heartland Film Board of Directors since 2014. Over the years, he served as the Vice Chair (2023 & 2024) , Secretary (2022) and advised on the Governance Committee.
2026 Heartland Film Board Officers
Board Chair
David Wong, Barnes & Thornburg LLP
Vice Chair
Susie Townsend, Visit Indy
Secretary
Kim Dollin, CBIZ Somerset
Treasurer
Gabe Connell, Founder of HotBox Pizza LLC
Immediate Past Chair
John Dewey, TQL Wealth Management
2026 Heartland Film Board of Directors
- Paul Babcock, Health & Hospital Corporation of Marion County
- Frank Basile, Retired
- Charla Booth, Indianapolis Public Schools
- Jennifer Closshey, Vevue
- Daniel Cook, Daniel's Vineyard
- Tim Cook, Katz, Sapper & Miller
- Marisol Gouveia, Indiana Humanities
- Carolyn Hunt, Barnes & Thornburg LLC
- Michael Husain, Director, Writer & Producer
- Kristi Lee, The Bob & Tom Show
- Fred Lockett, DJ Lockstar
- Karen Mangia, The Engineered Innovation Group
- Seth Maxwell, Legacy Youth Leadership
- Yung Nguyen, Cook Medical
- Gregory M. Paul, Castle Rock Entertainment, Inc.
- Amy Pauszek, Producer, Publicist, Photographer & Journalist
- Erin Schneider, Duke Energy Corporation
- Ben Shine, American Lung Association Board Member & Tonic Ball Committee Member
- Stan Soderstrom, Retired
- Robert Spoonmore, Springboard
- Betty Stilwell, Retired
- Caity Withers, Indianapolis Airport Authority
- Turner John (TJ) Woodard, Turner John Management
2026 Heartland Film Advisory Council
Katrina Canfield (IndyStar | LOCALiQ) is the Chair of the 2026 Heartland Film Advisory Council. Advisory Council Members include John Abrams, Kelly Alexiou, Shamika Anderson, Penny Barrett, Chris Bertolini, Dan Boots, Lisa Breall, Heather Brogden, Andrea Brummett, Ellen Butz, Gary Cohen, Meghan Dagon, Sandra Daly, Maria Delgado, Claudia Dille, Leslie Donchetz, Michael Durr, Jenny Godby, Lynda Goeke, Arlene Grande, Tom Grande, Nikki Gray, Dija Henry, Amy Howell, Eric Kilbride, Lindsey Marie Kirkpatrick, David Klapper, Cori Korn, Larry Landis, Kristen Lappas, LeeAnn Law, Katie Lory, Chris Phillips, Traci Prescott, Heather Richmund, Heather Ross, Suzanne Rothenberg, Susan Salsbery, Bob Schultz, Sarah Silcox, Neelu Sondhi, David Spencer, Chantel Stone, RC Thorne, Rocky Walls, Roberta Walton, Regina Wilkes and Amy Wright.
Heartland Film was founded in 1991 with the mission to curate, promote and celebrate thoughtful and engaging films. In 2025, Heartland Film hosted the 8th Indy Shorts International Film Festival and the 34th Heartland International Film Festival. For the third year in a row, the festivals were honored on MovieMaker Magazine's list of the Top 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World (2023, 2024 & 2025). Both festivals also made the 2025 list of 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee. Dates for the 2026 festivals are set for:
9th Indy Shorts International Film Festival | July 21-26, 2026
35th Heartland International Film Festival | October 8-18, 2026
About Heartland Film, Inc.
Heartland Film is a nonprofit arts organization that runs the 11-day Heartland International Film Festival in October, the Academy Award®-Qualifying Indy Shorts International Film Festival in July, the Truly Moving Picture Award and other year-round programs. Based in Indianapolis, Heartland Film was founded in 1991 with the mission to curate, promote and celebrate thoughtful and engaging films. Over the years, Heartland Film has presented $3.5 million in cash prizes – the largest total amount awarded by any film festival in North America – presented 200+ studio films with the Truly Moving Picture Award, and showcased more than 2,000 feature and short films, including 10 Oscar®-winning short film titles. MovieMaker Magazine named both the Indy Shorts and Heartland International Film Festival on the top 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World list for 2023, 2024 and 2025. The 9th Annual Indy Shorts International Film Festival is scheduled for July 21-26, 2026 and the 35th Heartland International Film Festival will run October 8-18, 2026. For more information, www.HeartlandFilm.org.
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